Police to hold engraving event to help victims recover property

In hopes of encouraging residents to mark their valuables, Macon police are hosting a free engraving event Saturday at multiple locations.

Authorities say police officers and deputies often encounter suspected thieves with valuables, but without proof of ownership, law enforcement can’t make an arrest or return the valuables to their owners.

Macon police Lt. David Freeland said it’s not uncommon for police to catch people selling stolen items to pawnshops or buying and selling valuables on the street several days after a burglary or car break-in, but they can’t prove the person with the stolen items actually stole them.

He said arrests still can be made on the charge of theft by receiving stolen property.

“We can prove they’re in possession of stolen property,” Freeland said.

Theft by receiving stolen property can be a felony or misdemeanor charge depending on the value of the stolen items. A person caught with guns or items worth more than $500.01 is charged with a felony, Freeland said.

Police have received 25 theft by receiving reports so far this year. Forty reports were written in 2009, according to police statistics.

Bibb County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy David Davis said the sheriff’s office doesn’t make many cases of theft by receiving stolen property aside from cases involving car theft when deputies find someone driving a stolen car.

Freeland said anyone who suspects an item being sold might be stolen can call the police to check serial or vehicle identification numbers against police records.

“If it sounds too good to be true, don’t do it,” Freeland said.

Sheriff’s office Lt. George Meadows said he encourages people to mark valuables with their driver’s license number to aid authorities in recognizing an item is stolen, sometimes even before a theft is reported.

Using the driver’s license number, deputies and police officers have the ability to quickly gather information about the owner’s name and address, he said.

“It’s the same as running a tag number,” Meadows said.

Police Maj. Tonnie Williams said the Saturday engraving event is aimed mostly to mark small items such as laptops and GPS devices,

The process takes less than three minutes per item, he said.

For larger items, engraving devices can be signed out from the department’s Youth and Intervention Division office by calling 803-2704, Williams said.

Meadows said the sheriff’s office also has engraving devices available for sign out by calling 744-9700.

Using a permanent black marker also can be an effective marking tool. Because many electronics are black, the markings won’t be easily noticed by thieves but authorities will be able to read the markings, he said.

Although it can be time-consuming to disconnect electronics and make the markings, it’s worth the effort, Meadows said.

“It’s worth every minute of your time if we can recover your items, make an arrest and get a criminal off the street,” he said.

To contact writer Amy Leigh Womack, call 744-4398.